AN Inverness man who only has one leg has won his latest benefits battle - but now fears having to do it all again for a third time. For disabled George McLean says he has been left in the dark about whether his payments will be under threat from the latest controversial welfare cuts after already being targetted twice.

And he told the Highland News the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) was unable to shed any light on Chancellor George Osbourne's proposals to slash £2.5 billion from the budget for long-term sickness benefits either. Mr McLean hit the headlines in March after the HN revealed he was TWICE told he was fully fit to work and his Employment Support Allowance (ESA) was slashed despite him only having one leg.

At the time local MP Danny Alexander was demanding a full inquiry into the case after learning of his plight. Mr McLean appealed the decisions and has just won for a second time. However, he now fears he will be forced to go through the same process again and again after the latest cuts.

The Chancellor's announcement that ESA - which replaced Incapacity Benefit - will be one target of the benefits crackdown led to indications that most recipients would lose it after a year. Mr McLean, of Lochlann Avenue, Culloden, accused the government of scaremongering, blasted the DWP for having no information on the changes, and said he was surprised Mr Alexander has remained silent on the issue.

The 52-year-old told the HN: "I have recently won my latest tribunal after I was once again deemed fully fit to work and now these announcements have been made that there could be major changes to ESA.

"I have tried to find out what these possible changes mean for me and I am getting nowhere. I spoke to the DWP but the staff said they didn't even know about George Osbourne's announcement - it is no use. I don't know how this will affect me and it's worrying. I think the government is scaremongering - they are trying to get those who abuse the system back to work, but it is not great for the genuine claimants. I am concerned I am going to have to go through the medicals again and again. I am scared my money is going to get cut."

Mr McLean, who lives with his wife Kathleen, said he was perplexed Mr Alexander, who is now Chief Secretary to the Treasury, has remained silent on the issue since joining the Cabinet. "Danny has got a new job since he was last backing my case, but he is still a local MP and he was so against the way the medicals were run. Now I have yet to read of hear anything in the media from himself on this issue. His silence is bewildering."

I've left NHS in great shape, claims £165,000-a-year chief as he quits

The Scotsman13 November 2010 By Lyndsay Moss Health correspondent

THE NHS in Scotland is in "great shape" to embrace the challenging times ahead, the outgoing chief executive has said. Dr Kevin Woods, who has led NHS Scotland since 2005, leaves the Scottish Government next week to become chief executive and director-general of health at New Zealand's Ministry of Health.

In his final annual report, Dr Woods highlighted the "significant achievements" made in areas such as hospital superbugs, waiting times and efficiency savings in Scotland. He told The Scotsman that the current financial climate meant the NHS faced challenges ahead, but insisted it was now "very well placed" to face them.

Dr Woods's report highlighted achievements such as hitting key targets ahead of the 2010-11 deadline, including a nine-week in-patient waiting time, a 54 per cent drop in cases of superbug Cdiff and 80 per cent of young children being registered with an NHS dentist. It also pointed out that all health boards achieved financial balance, with an underspend in 2009-10 for the whole NHS of £42 million. Efficiency savings of £521m were also reported, exceeding the target by £108,000.

"When I came in 2005, there was a lot of concern about waiting times. Since then, as the report shows, we have made an enormous amount of progress," Dr Woods said. "We are on track to deliver on the 18-week referral to treatment target and we have made significant strides in meeting our cancer access targets."

Thanking staff for their hard work, Dr Woods also said advances had been made with efficiency and productivity and the NHS was now in "great shape" to meet the challenges ahead.

ALL bets are off as Wick Academy travel to Nairn County for a game both management teams believe is too tough to call. Both sides are coming off the back of good results last weekend with the Scorries hoping to use the confidence boost to get their first away win of the season and the Wee County trying to keep their self belief up as they get closer to the top of the table.

At 11 games into the Highland League season, Academy have only twice before had as high a points tally (15) at this stage, and co-manager Ian Munro said that despite poor away performances the squad is approaching tomorrow's fixture with renewed confidence after seven of the players found the back of the net last Saturday against Fort William.

"Everybody is on a high from last weekend and hopefully we can continue that this Saturday," said Munro. There is a little bit of inconsistency when we've been going away this season but hopefully we can take the confidence from last week's win and get the right result this weekend."

Munro and co-manager Richard Hughes fondly remember their best away result of last season against Nairn, when the Scorries travelled to Station Park and came away with a 4-0 victory, a win they hope to repeat tomorrow.

"We had a really good game down there last year, especially as we also held them to a draw at Harmsworth," said Munro. "We go away to every game with the mind-set of coming back with three points, and if we can go down there this weekend and emulate last year's performance then that will be great for the club." He continued: "We've been a bit stop-start so far and obviously we would like to have more points, but we'll just keep looking to build on it."

Academy team selection is only hampered by two missing bodies for tomorrow with Alan Farquhar suffering from illness and Bryan McKiddie possibly out after just completing the New York Marathon. Both are expected to be assessed prior to the match, and the co-manager said that he and Hughes would make a late decision as to who and how they would play Nairn, after a 3-4-3 system was successfully adopted last week.

"We just have to wait and see who is available for the game and then we can address issues like formation. Nairn County are a very good team so there is a chance that we will do something a bit different," he said. He added that they were expecting a tough game but that he was confident Wick could bring the three points home.

Munro added: "Les Fridge has Nairn well schooled and they have some good players, like David Hannah, so it's a wealth of experience that they have. But, as we always say, if we play to our strengths then we fear no-one."Meanwhile Nairn County manager Fridge is asking his players to keep the faith after staging a successful comeback last weekend against Keith at home."My primary concern is this Saturday. If we can continue to play with a bit of belief and confidence then it will be okay, it's that simple," he said.

With a very respectable 34 goals in 12 games, Nairn County have been edging closer to the top five in the league and Fridge said he is pleased with the all-round performance of his team.

"Our strikers are obviously working well but we've also been very fortunate to have been getting goals from all over the park, which has been very pleasing to see," he said. "Ideally I would love to see us take the three points on Saturday but it's going to be a tough game. Wick are coming here on the back of a very good result last week. They scored a lot of goals and I'm sure they will be coming down here with a lot of confidence."

Despite coming off the back of a win, the Wee County manager is wary of the threat that Academy pose, especially as he has been left with five players missing for tomorrow's game. Defenders Andrea Coletto and Steven MacKay are both out with injuries, Scott Barlow and midfielder Anthony Low will also probably miss the game due to work commitments, and there is also a doubt over striker John Cameron.

"We're down to the bare bones at the moment but there is not a lot we can do so we just have to get on with it," said Fridge. "If we can just keep playing in the manner we have been doing over the past couple of weeks then I'll be happy."

STUNNED residents have organised an emergency meeting after learning that the construction of a busy highway is earmarked for their tranquil hamlet.

Several locals in Redgorton – five miles from Perth – have only learned of the plans in recent days, but have quickly mobilised to set up a website, Facebook page and meeting in response to the proposal.

Plans suggest the road will join the Fair City’s Western bypass, heading through Berthapark farmland, Redgorton and Luncarty, before crossing the River Tay at Waulkmill, which lies south of Stormontfield.

The route then meets the Perth to Coupar Angus stretch near the Balgarvie roundabout.

Outlined in Perth and Kinross Council’s Main Issues report, which was published in September, the option is considered as the “preferred route corridor” for the ‘Cross Tay Link Road’ (CTLR) project, which is regarded as “essential to relieve traffic congestion and the associated poor air quality in Perth city centre”.

A spokesperson for saveredgorton.co.uk, the website which was launched on November 12, hit out at the scheme, which could ultimately cost £100 million.

“It seems to have been kept very quiet, with small exhibitions only advertised with very small notices and not in the areas that are going to be mainly affected,” he said. "There are two main issues here, the proposed building of the road and the removal of the greenbelt status of Luncarty and Redgorton.”

He claimed the project would impact on key Perth routes.

“It will impact on Crieff Road and Inveralmond. They are taking the problem away from Bridgend and putting it across the other side of the river,” he declared. "I have a suspicion that this is just an idea which will get rid of the greenbelt status in order to invite building on the rest of the land.

“We paid a premium price to live here in Redgorton. Until the council remove this proposed road from their plans, all of the properties here will certainly be unsellable. It is all well saying that it is pie-in-the-sky and it may never happen, but it could take years. Until then, our homes are worth diddly-squat. Even if the CTLR is scrapped, a further proposal has been submitted by a local builder to have Redgorton removed from the green belt, and developed it into an area with facilities including a garden centre and leisure centre.”

PKC’s enterprise convener and Strathtay councillor John Kellas said: “People will definitely be listened to and I will support them in ensuring that their views are put forward. But we do have to look at what is best overall. If we exclude this option then people will tell us that we are ignoring the problem of congestion and Perth’s future development.”

A PKC spokesman said no decisions had been made – and refuted claims about Redgorton’s status. “Every effort would be made to minimise potential impact when selecting a final route,” he declared. “At present Perth does not have a green belt, but there is an intention to designate one through the local development plan process.”

Monday’s public meeting takes place at Luncarty Bowling Club from 7.30pm.

Here's one you might have missed. We've been talking about this over at the Brotherhood of the Kilt forum. I'm still pro choice in the matter but I can see their reasoning when it comes to rental kilts.

The Scottish Tartans Authority has decreed that refusing to put on underwear beneath a kilt is "childish and unhygienic".

It also warned that "going commando" flies in the face of decency.

Tartans Authority director Brian Wilton said kilt wearers should have the "common sense" to realise they should wear underwear beneath their country's national dress.

The Scottish Tartans Authority has decreed that refusing to put on underwear beneath a kilt is "childish and unhygienic". It also warned that "going commando" flies in the face of decency.

If they think this is unhygenic, then what in the blazes is sodomy which so many in this world want to embrace as healthy and normal. Eegads. I do wish, though, they would define what they are talking about when they say "going commando". Saalluuuuute!

KASABIAN and The Chemical Brothers are to headline the monster three-day RockNess festival next June.

As recipients of one of Britain’s biggest and most respected awards – Q Best Act in the World Today, bestowed upon them at the prestigious Q Music Awards 2010, Kasabian are heading to RockNess for a Scottish festival exclusive!

Joining Kasabian is an act that can almost call RockNess home – The Chemical Brothers . Last time Ed Simons and Tom Rowlands played the festival, they unleashed a colossal visual and sonic assault that reverberated the length of the Great Glen.

The Chemical Brothers were winners of this year’s Q Hero Award. Speaking about their return to RockNess, Ed and Tom said “This will be the first time we have played in Scotland since 2008 and so it’s really exciting to be headlining one of our favourite festivals. RockNess is an amazing place to play and we can’t wait to be back there again”.

RockNess Festival Director Jim King commented “We said last year that we really wanted a big rock band and in Kasabian we have the biggest rock band in the UK today. They're going to take the roof off. As for The Chemical Brothers, they epitomise everything we ever dreamed about as a RockNess headliner. They are one of my favourite bands of all time, true pioneers and RockNess legends"

RockNess 2011 takes place 10-12 June, 2011 in the village of Dores, close to Inverness. More headline will be announced soon.

The festival won Line Up Of The Year at last week’s UK Festival Awards for its 2010 extravaganza which saw appearances from a raft of incredible acts including headliners The Strokes. Leftfield and Fatboy Slim.

A CHOIR at a Hamilton church last week stunned parishioners by swapping the hymn book for an altogether different kind of musical devotion... football chants. For 10 minutes, St Mary’s Episcopal Church, in Auchingramont Road, treated the congregation to the terrace tunes of Bury FC.

Little-known anthems of the Greater Manchester club – nicknamed the Shakers – featured in the "world premiere" of ‘Carillion, Derision, Paean’.It was a specially-written 10-minute organ work to mark the 50th birthday of St Mary’s rector Ian Barcroft, a lifelong Bury fan.

Mr Barcroft, sporting a Bury FC top, was among the choir of 30 as they acquainted the 40-strong audience with chants that poked fun at Bury’s local rivals, Bolton and Rochdale. Leeds United were ridiculed in one song as a ‘small team in Bradford’ and the discordant piece moved towards its conclusion with the choir singing: ‘Bury till I die, Bury till I die; I know I am, I know I am, I’m Bury till I die.’ A referee’s whistle was blown at the end of the work.

The piece was performed at the church on Saturday evening and followed a rendition of Faure’s Requiem – in Esperanto. Mr Barcroft said the homage to The Shakers, who are currently third in npower League Two, was written by the church’s organist and director of music, David Hamilton.

Mr Barcroft said: "I am a great fan of discordant music and David is an exponent of contemporary music and he came up with this piece for my birthday. He was asked to write something by my wife, Heather.

A 20-mile stretch of the M8 motorway has reopened after being closed for 48 hours due to snow and ice. Scotland's busiest road had been closed westbound between the outskirts of Edinburgh and Shotts in North Lanarkshire since Monday afternoon. It was the last of Scotland's motorways to be opened after the transport network was brought to a standstill by severe weather two days ago.

Police were still advising drivers against travelling. Temperatures again plummeted overnight, with Edinburgh recording -14C and Glasgow dropping to -13C. Thick ice is still covering many roads and conditions are hazardous on most routes.

Glasgow City Council has announced that all its schools will be closed for a third consecutive day on Thursday.

Police are warning motorists not to return to cars they abandoned at the side of motorways.

The M8 westbound opened just before 1300 GMT after being closed for two days.The M876 southbound reopened after being closed for two hours during the morning to prevent cars getting stranded. Almost 300 petrol stations in Scotland reported fuel shortages, after some hauliers said they were unable to reach the Grangemouth refinery.

The National Farmers Union Scotland have reports of diesel shortages in the Borders, Aberdeenshire and Moray

School closures continue across Scotland on Wednesday.

Weather is continuing to affect services at airports. Glasgow and Edinburgh airports are open but flights are disrupted Campbeltown and Wick airports have been forced to close due to the freezing conditions.

On the railways, train services are subject to severe delay and cancellations. There are severe problems with the Glasgow to Edinburgh train service, particularly at Glasgow Queen Street. Many trains were cancelled during the rush hour.

There is widespread bus disruption - services are running but remain unreliable.Edinburgh City Council is in discussions with the Scottish government and the Army about bringing in soldiers to help clear snow from the city's streets.Major snowfalls saw hundreds of people sleep in their cars or abandon them on the highway on Monday night as motorways and roads clogged up, particularly on the M8, M80, M9, M876 and A80.

The transport minister had to apologise for the gridlock after some travellers were stuck in their vehicles for more than 15 hours.

Peter Nardini’s song about Larkhall slammed by politicans and church leadersHamilton Advertiser Dec 9 2010 by Gary Fanning

RELIGIOUS leaders and politicians this week condemned a song written about Larkhall that is to be used in schools to tackle sectarianism. Peter Nardini’s song, called “Larkhall,” has been blasted for “ridiculing” the town and being insulting to its people.

The song was launched last week at the Scottish Parliament as part of an education package called “A’ Adam’s Bairns?” to highlight issues such as sectarianism, racism and prejudice, the slave trade and the Highland Clearances.

“A’ Adam’s Bairns?” aims to challenge the perceptions of pupils aged 10-14 using songs, stories and historical sources to examine Scotland’s diversity and the influences that have helped to shape the country today. The resource also covers Scottish identity and forms of prejudice, including the ongoing problem of sectarianism in Scotland.

In one module, pupils are asked to discuss the lyrics of “Larkhall,” described as a contemporary folk song about anti-Catholic bigotry in the town. But people are furious with the song that contains the lyrics, “Bigotry pours oot the drains like blue blood runs through the veins of princes” and “it really isnae a’ that bad at all as long as yer name’s no John Paul.”

Residents also hit out at the lyrics: “Where children learn what’s richt from wrang frae the words they see spray painted on the buildings, and then their ain children, grow up jist the same wi’ an attitude that’s never changes for decades...” Last April, 300 people marched through Larkhall in a bid to rid the town of its sectarian image.

One of them was Lindsay Schluter, minister of Trinity Church in the town’s Union Street. She says the song is not a fair reflection of the town. Rev. Schluter added: “Larkhall is being singled out in a way that is not helpful or fair. Larkhall residents are disgusted at the sectarian-inspired vandalism the town is subjected to on occasion.”

Councillor Jackie Burns said the song was insulting to the people of Larkhall. “Mr Nardini wrote the song with the full intention of making fun and ridiculing Larkhall. People here take exception to that. The tone is insulting. I think it is very unfair as there is a lot of work being done by schools and churches to build bridges in the community. The song is far from the reality in Larkhall. Larkhall is a mixed community and people live well together. People are proud of the town. The issue of Peter Nardini’s poem doesn’t contribute anything to the debate.”

SNP councillor Lesley McDonald has written a letter to Scottish Education Minister Mike Russell asking him why the song is being used as part of education material in schools. “It is appalling and disgraceful,” she said. “It is a slur on the town. People don’t deserve this. I have spoken to people of all denominations and they are aghast at it and that it has been put into print.”

The education pack was produced by Scotdec (Scottish Development Education Centre) in partnership with the National Library of Scotland and is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. It will be made available to all Scottish schools. Susan McIntosh, Scotdec co-ordinator, said: “The overall purpose of this resource is to give teachers strategies and ideas to explore the difficult issues raised by the songs and archive material, such as racism and prejudice. The context is at once Scottish and global, past and present.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Incidents of sectarianism, racism or prejudice have no place in modern day Scotland and we welcome any initiative that seeks to tackle these problems. Encouraging our young people to learn more about different cultures and backgrounds is a vital step in creating a more positive and inclusive society and we welcome this new resource."

Plans to subsidise nuclear power could spark another row similar to the one over tuition fees, First Minister Alex Salmond has warned. The Liberal Democrats' decision to back increased fees for university students in England has already sparked a furious reaction, with massive protests against the measure.

And Mr Salmond said the UK Energy Secretary Chris Huhne could see a similar situation if he includes nuclear power in his subsidy package for low-carbon energy. The SNP leader said the Lib Dem election manifesto had been "absolutely clear" that "nuclear power would not be subsidised". However, Mr Salmond told BBC Radio Scotland that Mr Huhne's discussion paper on the future of low-carbon energy could lead to subsidies for nuclear power.

Speaking on the Good Morning Scotland programme, the First Minister said: "That would be total disaster. This would be a bottomless pit of subsidy. "All the wealth in the North Sea could not subsidise a new generation of nuclear power stations and the worst thing about nuclear power is the front end subsidy is not the end of it. In fact, it would be just the beginning.

"The real subsidy for nuclear power is taking on the massive cost and the risk of decommissioning. We have got multi-billion pound bills for the decommissioning of the first and second generation of nuclear power stations and it would be silly to take on another massive bill like that. The danger for Scotland is that money for renewable energy would be siphoned off in support of a new generation of nuclear power in England, and that's what we're determined to avoid. I don't want nuclear power subsidies to become Chris Huhne's tuition fees."

THIS dramatic scene unfolded on the frozen River Ayr when a dog walker tried to save his pet. The man balanced precariously on blocks of ice floating on the swollen river in a bid to haul the animal to safety. Emergency teams and onlookers branded his actions “foolish”, insisting it could have cost him his life.

And police revealed that children are also dicing with death by playing, and even cycling on the ice choked river. Chaos has reigned since the section of the river at the stepping stones and Dalmilling golf course was transformed into a sea of ice.

The natural phenomenon has brought hundreds of onlookers to the beauty spot beneath the A77. Post photographer Derek McCabe was on the scene when the man slipped on the ice while trying to rescue his dog. He said: “I don’t know if the dog had been on a lead or not but it ran out on to the ice and got into difficulty.“The man called it a few times but started climbing down the banking to reach it. “He then slipped on the banking, went through the ice and into the water. This panicked his dog and the man had to wrestle with it to get it out. He managed to scramble out as well but if he had been half a foot further out it would have been a different story.”

Cars travelling past the river were causing traffic chaos as they slowed down or stopped to look at the icy spectacle. The country track that comes off the A77 at the river was jammed full of cars that had pulled in to get a better look. Police have been inundated with calls from concerned members of the public after children were spotted playing on the ice.

PC Mark Green from the community safety department at Ayr police office said: “We appreciate how much fun it is to play on the ice, however we would urge the kids not to play on the frozen river. “We don’t want them to become one of the unfortunate statistics of children drowning after falling through the ice.”

And Ronnie Younger from Ayr Coastguard warned: “The ice might seem thick round the river banks but it will be thin in the middle as that’s the last area to freeze. “Dog walkers need to be careful to keep their dogs on a lead. Dogs obviously don’t know the dangers and will just run out on to the ice . Nine out of 10 owners’ reaction will be to go after them. The results can be disastrous.

“The bankings are also very slippy so please don’t get too close. People think if they can swim they’ll be alright. But it only takes a matter of minutes in the water and your muscles will become paralysed, your body shuts down and you can’t move. It’s a beautiful sight down at the river just now but please, admire it from a distance and be safe.”

Stewart Brabs from the Ayrshire Rivers Trust explained that the spectacle occurred when melting snow ran into the river upstream forcing the water level to rise and ice covering it to break. He said: “The ice then got swept down river. The sheer quantity of ice moving has actually eroded sandstone rock along the banks. The sights could last for a good while as there is literally tonnes of ice now lying around the stepping stones area, the temperatures won’t be warm enough to melt it all for a good while. The wildlife shouldn’t be affected by the ice, the fish are deep enough in the river that it won’t harm them. But I would also urge people not to stand on the ice as it’s not stable and very dangerous.”

Aberdeen Harbour at sunsetAberdeenshire has been voted the best place to live for the second year in a row. The Bank of Scotland Quality of Life Survey ranked the area top overall in its annual poll.

Residents in the north east were found to enjoy good health, well-performing schools and low unemployment. Even the weather was said to be better than in other parts. The Shetland Islands came second in the survey, followed by East Dunbartonshire.

The results showed life expectancy in Aberdeenshire is a higher-than-average 78, with nine out of ten people (93%) reporting they were fit and well. Employment in the area was estimated at 80%. According to the poll, the level of school qualifications is above the national average, with 83% achieving five or more SCQF level 4 awards. Residents also enjoy less rainfall per year - 999 mm against the Scottish average of 1,295 mm, and slightly more weekly sunshine hours - 25.5 hours compared to 24.9 hours.

The Shetland Islands came top of the survey for jobs, with a reported 86.1% employment rate. The Western Isles had the lowest number of burglaries and Dundee saw the least rainfall.